The Many Benefits of Vitamin D

Written by Sarah Criscuolo

Vitamin D is an essential micronutrient that is synthesized primarily by the skin via sunlight exposure. It can also be obtained via the diet in smaller quantities, as well as through supplementation. Vitamin D is known to have many positive benefits on both our physical and mental health – read on to learn about how!

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Benefits on Physical Health

Vitamin D can have major positive impacts on bone health due to its relationship with calcium. Vitamin D isn’t actually a vitamin at all – it’s considered a steroid hormone, increasing calcium absorption in the small intestine. For this same reason, vitamin D is very important for muscle strength and development. This is especially important in the elderly population, where falls can be increasingly dangerous. Improved muscular strength helps to prevent falls from occurring, and increased bone strength improves the chances of walking away from a fall without a serious injury.

Vitamin D is also believed to reduce the risk of colon cancer, and potentially others, as well as hypertension, heart attack, and overall mortality. It also plays a role in glucose metabolism via insulin secretion, and therefore adequate serum levels may reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

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Benefits on Mental Health

We discussed vitamin D in our Coping With Seasonal Affective Disorder blog – here’s an excerpt:

“Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to depression in many studies over the years. Vitamin D is necessary for the activation and synthesis of serotonin, the “feel good” hormone, through its precursor, tryptophan. Serotonin is one of the most important neurotransmitters in the body in association with mood and wellbeing. Therefore, if vitamin D levels are inadequate, serotonin levels will be decreased as well, which can lead to depressive symptoms.”

Because sunlight is our main source of vitamin D synthesis, the reduced sunlight levels experienced during the winter months in northern hemispheres tend to lead to higher rates of depression and anxiety, known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Therefore, supplementation for these populations is crucial, and can lead to positive effects on mood and energy levels, among other things.

It’s estimated that between 5-30 minutes of unprotected sun exposure during peak hours (10 am – 4 pm) either daily for shorter amounts or at least twice per week for longer amounts of time is sufficient for the synthesis of appropriate vitamin D levels.

Food Sources

Although sunlight is our main source for vitamin D synthesis, it can also be obtained in smaller amounts through food, the highest levels being found in the flesh of fatty fish like tuna and salmon, or in fish liver oil. There are also small amounts found in beef liver, egg yolks, and cheese, as well as some plant sources like mushrooms. The type of vitamin D found in animal sources is D3, which is more easily absorbed than that found in plant sources, D2.

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Can You Get Too Much Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is fat-soluble, meaning that it can’t be absorbed via the diet without appropriate fat intake; conversely, excess supplementation of vitamin D will cause it to be stored in body fat, leading to potentially negative consequences. The major side effect is excessively high calcium levels, or hypercalcemia, which can cause nausea, vomiting, pain, loss of appetite, muscle weakness and psychiatric disturbances, among other symptoms.

At extremely high levels, vitamin D toxicity can lead to kidney failure, soft tissue calcification (which includes the coronary vessels and heart valves), arrhythmias, and even death. It is not believed that vitamin D toxicity can come from excess sun exposure, but instead from high levels of supplementation. Therefore, it is important to discuss proper dosage with a knowledgable dietitian or physician to ensure you are taking a safe amount based on your needs and medical condition(s).

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Our dietitians have a deep understanding of supplementation protocols and can help you to determine how much additional vitamin D (if any!) may benefit you. Use the button below to set up an intake today – we look forward to working with you!

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